New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees wasn't at Saints camp yet Tuesday. He wrapped up his final workout in his off-field home base of San Diego. But he expressed his relief and excitement in a radio interview with WWL on Tuesday night.

"It's been a long time coming," said Brees, who was instrumental in the NFL's labor negotiations as part of the players association's executive council. "Obviously this was a wild offseason for all of us. This was uncharted territory, something none of us was used to. ... And there was just a lot of uncertainty as to how long this would last.

"It came down to the wire, but we got a deal done that we're all very happy with. We feel like it was a fair deal for both sides."

When asked what his message to Saints fans would be, Brees said, "I can't tell you how excited we are to see all the fans out at camp."

"I know how excited they've been in years past about the start of the season, and I think this one maybe even moreso than years past because there's been so much uncertainty and so much doubt as to whether there was gonna be football this year," Brees said. "So I know it freaked everybody out. It scared everybody. But here we are, football's started, and I know everybody's pumped up and ready for it."

Brees' own contract will become an issue soon. He's heading into the final year of his six-year deal with the Saints and will eventually become one of the highest-paid players in NFL history. But he said that's not the most immediate priority for himself or the team right now.

"When the time comes to talk about extending the contract, we're ready to do that," Brees said. "But after this (lengthy) process to get back to football, that's really all I'm looking forward to right now. Establishing an identity as a team and trying to win another championship."